Lily and Hiro
by Dozen and One Stars
Summary: A collection of oneshots and drabbles concerning Lily and Hiro. All cute little stories to warm your heart. Thanks to all readers and reviewers.
1. Autumn Leaves

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zodiac PI. **

Blink.

Blink.

Pinch.

"Ouch!" Hiro clenched his arm where had pinched himself only moments ago. Even though he could still feel the slight pain he just couldn't bring himself to believe that what he was seeing was actually real.

Lily stood up straight and stretched out her back. Wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead she looked up. Breaking out into a big grin she waved Hiro over. "Hey Hiro! Over here!"

Snapping out of his state of disbelief Hiro jogged over to where Lily was standing. Once there he surveyed the ground of the park. There wasn't a single leaf on the ground. It seemed that she had raked them all up into a two big but neat piles that lay a few yards away.

"Did you do all of this yourself?"

"What?" Lily gave him a strange look.

"The leaves. Did you rake them all up yourself?" Hiro waved to where the piles were.

"Oh, that." Lily raised her arm and scratched the back of her head. "Yeah, I did. It took a long time but I think I got them all."

Hiro shook his head. "I never thought I'd say this to you of all people but that was very responsible and mature of you. Who knows you may actually have some brains in that thing you call a head. I must say I'm very proud of you, Lily. Lily?"

Looking up he saw thatLily wasn't there anymore. In her place was the rake she had been holding. Looking around he saw her taking slow steps backwards. "What are you doing?"

"Getting a running start."

"For what?" The question came too late. Lily had already taken off in the direction of the leaves. Leaping up a few feet away from the pile she landed right in the middle. Leaves exploded upward and outward. Scattering once again all over the ground.

Hiro could only stare slack-jawed as her head popped out of the pile of red, yellow, and orange. Getting up she walked back over to where she had been standing before. Smiling even wider than before with leaves sticking out in random places. "You have to try this Hiro! It's so much fun!"

"You mean to tell me you raked all of those leaves just so you could jump in them?" His eyebrow twitched slightly.

"Well…yeah. Why else would I rake them up?" Lily questioned.

"How could I have ever believed you were responsible?" Hiro raised his arms in the air and stared walking away. "Just when I thought you-"

He was cut off as Lily grabbed his arm and started running. "What do you think your doing? Let me go!"

Then he spotted where Lily was heading. Straight to the other leaf pile. His eyes widened as he started his protest. "Don't you dare Lily! Let me go right now!"

Lily shrugged and let go. Though by now she had already launched them into the air. Laughing at the look on Hiro's face they landed into the mountain of leaves. Unburying herself Lily stood up and spread out her arms before falling back into the pile.

"Oh Lily…"

Hearing her name she opened her eyes to the sight of a smirking Hiro. Who was in turn holding an armful of leaves right above her head. She didn't even have the chance to protest before they where dumped upon her.

No it was Hiro's turn to laugh as Lily sputtered and spat out leaf bits. When he finally stopped laughing and looked at her she had a handful of leaves.

Jumping to his feet he attempted to flee when she grabbed the back of his sweater and with a quick yank she pulled him back down. Once he was down she shoved the leaves down his shirt. He returned the favor a short while later.

_And so it went. Back and forth. Neither caring for some of the strange looks that they received. Both lost in the world where just them and the leaves existed. _


	2. The Babysitter

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zodiac PI. **

"WAAAAAHHH!"

The sound of a distant wail reached Hiro's ears. Sighing he dragged himself out of his seat and walked over to baby's room where he was _supposed_ to be taking a nap. Grumbling as he reached the door, "Haru's such a good little baby. He _never_ cries. You'll hardly even know he's there."

Picking up the crying baby Hiro paced back and forth, hoping to calm him down enough for him to sleep. "How on earth do I get myself in this situation?"

_"Oh by the way Hiro you're going to be babysitting your cousin Haru tomorrow." _

_"What?" Hiro looked up at his mother from his reading spot to find her staring right at him. "Who me?" _

_"Yes you. Whom else would I be talking to?" _

_"Why don't you get Megumi to baby-sit? She's better at it." Hiro tried to protest. _

_"Because me, Megumi, and your Aunt Rizka are all going for a girl's day out. You're the only one available to watch over little Haru. Don't worry he's a little angel. Never cries. Never fusses." _

_"But-" _

_"No buts. Your aunt will be here at ten to drop off Haru." _

Hiro's reminiscing was cut short as a smell reached his nose. Scrunching up his nose in irritation he held Haru at arm's length. Giving him an incredulous look he placed him down on the changing table. "How can such a tiny thing make so much smell? Now how do you- AHH!"

After taking off the diaper Haru had apparently decided that he wasn't finished yet and preceded to take a leak. Regardless of who was in the way. Which resulted in one angry and lightly soaked Hiro.

Even in his discomfort he tried to do the proper thing and change Haru's diaper. Though with the kicking and screaming he didn't get to far. Finally he gave up and racked his brain trying to think of what to do now.

* * *

Ring- 

Ring-

Ring-

Ri-

"Hoshizawa residence. Lily speaking." Taking a seat at the table she started munching on her sandwich as she waited for the person on the other line to reply.

_"Lily, it's Hiro." _

She swallowed what she was chewing before answering. "Hey, Hiro! How's it going? I haven't heard from you in a while."

_"Fine. Listen I need a favor. Can you come over right now?" _

"Well yeah but what do you want me to come over for?" Lily was confused. It wasn't like Hiro to call out of the blue for anything. Especially a favor. Come to think of it when was the last time he asked for anything?

_"Great! I'll see you in little bit." _

Lily stared at the phone receiver in her hand as the sound of him hanging up lingered in her ear. Putting the phone down she quickly finished off her sandwich and jumped out he window. After landing on her feet she realized something. 'Where does Hiro live anyway?'

* * *

Hiro practically attacked the door at the sound of someone knocking. Flinging it open he grabbed the shocked Lily and dragged her inside. Pulling her towards where the dirty diaper baby was. "Where have you been? I expected you here a long time ago!" 

"You never told me were you lived. It took me a while to find your house." Lily defended herself.

"Whatever…can you change a diaper?"

Lily raised an eyebrow and the sudden inquiry. "I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"Just answer the question!"

"Yes I do."

"Perfect." Hiro opened the door to reveal Haru exactly how he left him: pant less, diaper less, and still laughing at what he did when his cousin first tried to change him. Pointing at the giggling baby he asked, "Can you change his diaper?"

Lily just stared.

"Please?"

Rolling up her sleeves Lily waved Hiro off. "Fine I'll change his diaper. You go and take a shower. You're a mess."

Breathing a sigh of relief Hiro said his thanks before making a dash to the bathroom. Turning on the water he was in and out in fifteen minuets. Stepping out of the bathroom fully dressed and clean he had an unsettling feeling. He couldn't quite place his finger on it but something was off. It wasn't until he found Lily reading a magazine on his couch that he realized what was wrong. Straining his ears he tried to detect any sound.

He heard nothing.

For the first time today Haru wasn't crying. Sensing someone looking at her Lily looked up from her magazine. Seeing Hiro giving her a disbelieving look she gave him a grin and stood up. "I don't see why you called me over. He was a perfect little baby. He didn't fuss and after his diaper was changed he fell right asleep. He's in his crib right now so be quiet."

Lily was starting to feel uneasy. Hiro hadn't said a word and was still staring at her. "You know it rude to stare." He still didn't take his eyes off her. "What?"

"How'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Get him to sleep. How'd you get him to lie still so you could change his diaper and get him to fall asleep? I've been trying to do that for the past half hour." Though he didn't raise his voice you got the sense he wanted to. Maybe it was because he was waving his arms about and pacing.

"Calm down Hiro. It was no big deal. I changed his diaper and he fell asleep. No tricks up my sleeves. No special secrets."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Well at least now I can have some peace and quiet." Not even a minute had passed since the words left his lips did Haru wake up and with his strong healthy baby lungs stared screaming. Hiro had to resist the urge to bang his head against the nearest wall.

"You jinxed it with that last statement."

He sent a glare in her direction before disappearing. A few minuets later he came back with a crying baby in his arms. Walking about the room he bounced him and pleaded with him to sleep. After fifteen minuets and no results Hiro handed Haru over to Lily while he went to prepare a bottle. Maybe his tactic was wrong. He could just be hungry.

As Hiro left the room Haru stopped crying. Curious he turned around to find him falling asleep in Lily's arms as she sang softly to him. Soon he was asleep. Hiro gratefully took the baby back as he prepared to put him in his crib. He didn't even make it to the room before Haru once again woke up and cried.

"I think this kid's out to get me." Hiro complained.

Lily patted him on the back. "I'm sure he's not out to get you." Haru just got louder and started flaying about. "Okay maybe he is. Here let me hold him."

He gladly handed Haru over. Carefully she rocked the baby as she sung to him softly. Listening closely Hiro managed to pick up the words.

"Golden slumber kiss your eyes,  
Smiles await you when you rise.  
Sleep,  
pretty baby,  
Do not cry,  
And I'll sing you a lullaby."

Haru's eyes stared to drift shut. Closing the blinking until they were open only to repeat the process over again.

"Care you know not,  
Therefore sleep,  
While I over you watch do keep.  
Sleep,  
pretty darling,  
Do not cry,  
And I will sing a lullaby."

He had once again fallen asleep. Slowly as to not wake him Lily sat down on the couch. When Hiro attempted to take him back she shook her head. "Maybe I should hold on to him. He seems to sleep better if I do."

Remembering what happened last time Hiro whole-heartedly agreed. Putting in a movie Hiro took a seat next to Lily, ready to enjoy the rest of the evening in peace.

The girl's couldn't help but smile at the sight that met them when they arrived home after their Girl's Day Out. Lily was still holding a peacefully sleeping Haru in her arms but now there was Hiro who was fast asleep against her shoulder. Lily was wide-awake and greeted the women as they arrived. She gave them the short story of what happened. After hearing what Lily had to say Megumi disappeared into her room only to emerge with a camera in hand.

_Smiling and giving a peace sign with her free hand Lily posed as the moment was captured in time. Unaware to the boy on her shoulder._


	3. Loves Me, Loves Me Not

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zodiac PI. **

"What are you doing Hiro?" Lily asked leaning over Hiro's shoulder.

Startled at her sudden appearance Hiro let go of what he was holding, sending it off with the wind. "Shoot! That was my last piece."

Seeing the colored piece of paper floating in the breeze and noticing of it seemed to be the final piece in whatever Hiro was doing Lily gave chase to the paper. Getting a small start she easily jumped and grabbed the run away paper before it went any further. Being very careful as to not crumple it she landed on the ground. Turning around she held it up triumphantly and sent him a smile. "Hey I caught it!"

"Thanks." Hiro took the small piece back and carefully attached it to what ever was in his hand. "Finished!"

"So what is it?"

Hiro showed Lily what he was holding. It was a beautifully crafted lily made of a pale pink and white paper. Picking it up gingerly she admired the flower from all angels. "Wow! This is amazing Hiro!"

Hiro shrugged. "I guess."

"You guess! This is the coolest thing ever! Who did you make it for?" Lily leaned in a little closer. "Is it for a girl? Your secret crush maybe?"

"No!" Hiro was a bright red. From both the close proximity and the question. "I was just bored and had some colored paper!"

"Sure. So whose the lucky girl?"

"There is no girl!"

"You mean it's a boy?"

"NO!" Hiro stood up quickly at this one to emphasize his point.

"That's good. Had me worried for a minute there. So are you going to tell me who this mystery girl is or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"

"There is no mystery girl. I told you I was just making it because I was bored and had nothing else to do." Hiro grabbed his backpack and started his walk home.

But Lily being her stubborn self just followed him, dead set on finding out what she wanted to know. "Come on! I promise I won't tell anyone!"

"There's nothing to tell! So just-"

He stopped talking when Lily had stopped walking. Tugging on his sleeve she pointed to a little girl sitting on her porch with a flower in her small hands, saying something to herself under her breath. "Hey Hiro look over there."

"What? That girl?"

"Yeah isn't she cutest?"

"Is she picking the petals off that flower?" Hiro asked peering closer.

"She is! That's so sweet!" Lily squealed in delight.

"Why?"

"Don't you know what it means if your pulling the petals off of flowers?" Lily said in a disbelievingly voice.

"No."

"She's trying to find out if a lucky little boy loves her or not." Just then the girl picked off the last petal. Standing up she had the biggest smile on her face as she ran inside. "Looks like he loves her! That's so adorable!"

"I don't get it. How does plucking the petals off flowers determine whether or not someone loves you?" Hiro was confused. He had never heard of something so ridiculous.

Bending down Lily picked a daisy that was growing in the sidewalk cracks. Straightening up she explained how it works. "Simple you pick off one petal at a time and say he loves me. Then you move on to the next petal and say he loves me not. You keep doing this until you're on the last petal. Whatever phrase is used on the last petal determines whether or not he really loves you."

She plucked one petal off.

"He loves me."

A petal drifts into the wind.

"He loves me not."

Another one bites the dust.

"He loves me."

There goes another one.

"He loves me not."

Lily continued the process until she was on the last petal. Taking it off she let it fall gracefully to the ground. Smiling she continued, "He loves me. This means the person I like feels the same way about me."

"So whose the guy?" Hiro inquired.

"What?" Lily was taken back by the question.

"You heard me." From there Hiro kept talking, firing off question after question about this enigma of a boy. "Who's this guy? Do I know him? What's his name?"

"Is it really that late already? I have to get home. It was nice talking to you Hiro! Thanks for the flower!" Lily was off in a blink off an eye.

"Get back here and tell me who he is!"

* * *

The next day Hiro was sitting under a tree in the park. With him was a bag on origami lilies that he had made last night. Picking one out of the bag he picked off a paper petal. "She loves me." 

Another paper petal falls.

"She loves me not."

Hiro kept this up and when one flower ran out of petals he would continue with another one. After plucking the last petal off his fifth paper lily he crumpled the rest of the flower and threw it in a trashcan. "What am I doing! Picking petals off of flowers to see if she loves me. It's ridicules! What's the reasoning? There's no logic behind it."

Crossing his arms he sulked against the tree trunk. Glancing at the bag his eye caught sight of an orange and pink origami flower. He tried resisting but soon enough the flower was in his hands and the process started all over again.

"She loves me."

"She loves me not."

"I knew it! You do like someone! Who is she?" Lily exclaimed as she suddenly appeared in front of Hiro.

Hiro nearly had a heart attack when Lily popped up out of nowhere. Clutching his heart he drew in deep breaths. "You don't need to know that."

Lily startled slightly and her eyes widened. For a moment Hiro thought he had hurt her feelings but that theory disappeared when she broke into a huge grin. Lunging at him Lily had him in a hug. "So I was right! There is a girl! I'm so happy for you! Who is she? Where does she go to school? Does she go to our school? Do I know her?"

"Leave me alone." As soon as Hiro managed to untangle himself from Lily he made a run for it. Forgetting his bag.

Slinging his bag of flowers over her shoulder Lily took off after him. "Hiro! Wait up! Who is she? I have to know!"

"No you don't!" He yelled over his shoulder.

"Tell me!"

"Never!"

Strange isn't it? A small child of four can write a beautifully written love letter confessing their feelings but the same child ten years later can't even admit that they have a crush? The world works in mysterious ways.

_The only evidence that the two were ever under the tree was the colored paper petals scattered over the ground and one perfectly intact pink and purple origami lily. It rested peacefully among the leaves and petals._


	4. Mistletoe

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zodiac PI. **

Hiro closed his eyes as he willed his feet to stop aching and his muscles to relax from their tense state. Reclining back in the comfortable couch he let the sounds of Christmas carols and light chatter fill his ears.

His mother was throwing a Christmas party at their home so he couldn't just get up and leave. Something about being a host and leaving in the middle of your own party being rude. Truth be told all he wanted to do was go upstairs and collapse in his nice warm bed. It's not like he didn't like Christmas. Quite the opposite actually. He enjoyed putting up decorations and watching people shopping. Not to mention the food. You just can't beat good Christmas food.

No what he didn't like was being a pack mule to his older sister. Though I'm getting a little ahead of myself. You see Megumi decided the she needed her little brother's expert opinion on gifts but conveniently forgot to mention that she had no intention of carrying for own bags. So since early that morning to just a little over an hour ago Hiro had been stuck carrying mountains of boxes and bags. None of which he bought.

"Hey Hiro? You still in the world of the living?" A voice said. Even with his eyes closed he could tell who it was.

Opening his eyes he came face to face with big sapphire blue eyes framed by strands of golden hair. It was Lily offering a steaming cup with marshmallows. "You looked tired so I brought you some hot chocolate. Careful it's hot."

Hiro gratefully took the mug off her hands and took a gulp. The chocolate warmth was soothing going down his throat. He said a quick thank you before taking another gulp. Lily made herself comfortable on the coach. They were having a conversation when Hiro noticed something.

"Sis!" Hiro seemed to have regained his energy.

Lily startled at her friend's sudden outburst. Luckily she had finished her mug so nothing was spilled. It was equally lucky that Hiro had put down his cup. He stood up so quickly with his face bright red that the cup would have surely shattered.

Hiro was normally rather reserved and respectful. So you could understand Lily's amusement and confusion and he leapt from his seat and started chasing his sister around the couch and herself. His hand reached out like he was trying to grab something. Looking above her head Lily flushed as she realized why he was acting so strangely.

Above her head was mistletoe.

Looking closer she realized it was attached to a stick with a red ribbon. Following the stick Lily saw that it was Megumi holding it over her head while successfully dodging every one of Hiro's futile attempts to get it.

"Come on Hiro! I'm being a caring older sister and this is how you treat my kindness? With such insolence!" Megumi commented dramatically. By now most of the guests had gathered around watching the little display of sibling rivalry.

"I don't care what you were thinking! Just get rid of that stupid thing!" Hiro retorted.

Megumi tsked at her younger brother. "And leave a lady such as Lily with out a kiss? Never! You two kiss and I'll put the mistletoe away."

Instead of following his sister's generous offer Hiro decided it would be better if lunged over the couch and grab the mistletoe while Megumi was caught off guard. Unfortunately there were two faults in his plan. One he misjudged how much force he would need to clear the couch and ended up tripping on it. Thus bringing him, the couch, and Lily crashing to the floor. Two Megumi anticipated this and quickly moved out of the way.

It took a while but after the initial shock wore off both were on their feet and the couch was upright. Hiro was embarrassed but not enough to stop trying to take that pesky little plant.

A few minuets later Lily decided to stop Hiro before he made a bigger fool of himself. Quietly so he wouldn't see her she left her seat and made her way over to where Hiro was leaning over Megumi, the mistletoe just out of his grasp.

Coming up behind him Lily leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the check. Pulling back she saw Hiro's bright red face as the rest of the guests exploded in applause and whistels. Taking his hand she led him over to where the kids of the party were making ginger bread houses and decorating cookies, "Come on Hiro! Help me make a ginger bread house!"

As Hiro was being dragged off he was only vaguely aware of the applause and his sister's dramatic performance. Though he heard every world Lily said bright and clear as a grin appeared on his face.

_I guess older sisters do care for you more than they let on. Though some will use you as their own personal slave they love you deep down. _

"No need for thanks for helping you get a kiss from the lovely Mademoiselle Lily. You can just help me with some last minuet Christmas shopping tomorrow. There's a big sale that starts at seven! "

_Really deep down._


	5. Santa Clause is Coming to Town

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zodiac PI. **

**A/N: This story loosely ties in with Mistletoe but can stand on it's own. **

'How did I wind up here again?' Hiro thought as he tried to walk and carry all of Megumi's shopping bags at the same time. Somehow Megumi and turned a favor for the mistletoe it to many shopping trips.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as Megumi spotted another crowded store having a big sale. As he was being pulled into another round of shopping frenzy he looked up at the ceiling where he could see snow falling through some of the roof windows. Only one thought went through his mind as he watched the delicate flacks fell 'Somebody save me.'

In the center of the mall was a panicking Lily. There was a line of little kids waiting as patiently as they could and the guy was late. Praying for a miracle she tried to keep them occupied. Hearing a high-pitched voice call out her name Lily looked over her shoulder. There was a waving Megumi and an utterly miserable Hiro.

Then the light bulb went on.

Rushing over she pulled Megumi aside. Whispering something in her ear she broke into a sly grin she took her own shopping purchases and left a confused but happy Hiro behind.

While Megumi made her flowery good byes and warnings of keeping her little brother safe Hiro blinked owlishly at the situation and what Lily was wearing.

She grinned as his sister left. Standing there in bright red stockings and a green felt long-sleeved dress. Around the neckline and by the hands was red felt fringe with a black belt around her waist. Also placed upon her head was a green and red pointed hat with a bell hanging at the end. To bring the whole outfit together were the green pointy shoes on each of her feet.

Putting her hands on his shoulders Lily guided Hiro though a door that clearly said Employees Only. Once the door had shut behind them Lily went over to a desk where a box was sitting. Opening it she started tossing clothes to Hiro who was standing behind her, calling over her shoulder "These should fit you. Put them on and go to the giant tree when you're done. I'll introduce you there."

Hiro stared at the clothes in his arms. "What are you talking about?"

"Our Santa is late and the kids are getting anxious. I got you out of shopping by telling Megumi that you'll play Santa." Seeing the look on his face Lily quickly added. "Don't worry! It's really easy! Just ask what the kid's name is, talk to them for a while, and give them a candy cane."

Seeing that Hiro was being extremely hesitant Lily put on a face that pleaded with him. Clasping her hands together she leaned in. "Please Hiro? The kids are going to be so disappointed! I'm sure their pay you! It's just for today and it'll be a huge help!"

Hiro turned red at the close proximity. Quickly he thought of all the reasons he shouldn't do this for Lily…. nothing came to mind. He then thought of all the reasons he should do this.

1) He wasn't a pack mule thanks to Lily.

2) It would make who knows how many children happy.

3) Lily would surly beat him to a pulp if he refused.

"Fine but I swear if one of them decides it's a good time to use the bathroom…" Lily would never find out what Hiro would do for at that moment she gave leapt out and gave him a quick hug before rushing out the door.

"Thank you so much! I promise you won't regret it!" Lily practically sang out as she flew out the door.

Hiro sighed as he started his transformation from Hiromi Oikawa boy genius and aspiring detective to Saint Nicholas better known as Santa Clause and household name. As he put the final touches on his costume he mumbled under his breath, "The things I do for her…"

Lily was at her wits end. The children looked as if they were about to riot or worse cry. Then it was if the clouds parted and sent a beam of light for Hiro had finally finished getting dressed and was walking towards the tree. Hopping up and down caused the bell on her hat to jingle as she proudly announced Santa's arrival. Running over so she could guide Hiro Lily properly introduced him, "It is my great honor to bring you Santa Clause!"

As soon as the children spotted him they notably brightened. Their frowns were replaced by smiles and tears dried up in an instance. Now instead of fidgeting with anxiety they hopped and clapped in joy.

From Hiro's spot on Santa's chair he could see all the little kids waiting in line to see him and silently thanked Lily for talking him into this. He had only walked up and sat down and he was already making these kids day.

Before Lily and Hiro knew it the stores were closing and the lasts of the kids were saying their goodbyes. Now sitting behind the Employees Only door the elf and Santa sat in contentment with their hot chocolate. Breaking the silence Lily spoke up. "You made a great Santa Hiro. Thanks again for filling in for the guy."

"Don't mention it. It was actually really fun." Hiro tried taking a sip of his chocolaty drink but found it difficult with his beard. Pulling it down he managed to take a drink.

"Yeah who knew you had such a way with kids? Good thing you got over that allergic reaction to girls. I'd hate to see what the kids would have down if Santa broken out in spots every time a little girl touched him." Lily commented.

Hiro shuddered at the thought. He had one little girl about the age of four give him a kiss him on the cheek and a few others whisper their requests in his ear. He didn't even want to think what the toddler would have of him breaking out. Probably would have scared the poor kid. "Never been more thankful for that allergy to have disappeared."

"I'll drink to that." Lily lifted her mug into the air. Following her lead Hiro did the same. Knocking them together they finished off what was left of their dinks.

Getting up Lily stretched and headed for the door. "I better get going before it gets too dark out. Megumi said she'd come and pick you up. Merry Christmas Hiro!"

"Lily wait!" turning around she saw Hiro get up. Waiting for him at the doorframe she noticed the slight blush on his face as he gave a fleeting kiss on the cheek.

Lily's eyes widened. "What was that for?"

He simply pointed the doorframe. Looking up Lily saw the reason for the unexpected display of affection.

Above her head was a single spring of mistletoe

'What's with all the mistletoe lately? Seems to be everywhere I go.' Lily thought to her self as she realized that now it was Hiro who was standing under it. Smiling she retuned the favor and gave him a small kiss.

The moment was ruined be a flash of light. Jerking back they found Megumi a few feet away waving a camera.

"Megumi!"

"Sis!"

_He's making a list,  
Checking it twice;  
Gonna find out who's naughty or nice.  
Santa Claus is coming to town_


	6. Once Upon a Time

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zodiac PI.**

A/N: This was inspired by a Law& Order: CI story I read called _LateNight Musing_ written by Traci. There's also a sequel called _More Musings by Robert Goren_. Please read them they'll provide many laughs.

**

* * *

**

"I can't believe you said that!"

"But it's true!"

Lilly was spending her lunch hour reading an old book of fairy tales that she had rediscovered when she had cleaned her room. It had been a birthday present from her mother and she had almost forgotten about when it was rediscovered. She had opened it up and started reading and hadn't been able to put it down since.

Thus Hiro had found her intently reading. Curious of her book he had peered over her shoulder and read a few lines. After discovering that the story was Little Red Riding Hood he had made an offhanded comment. Lily wasn't pleased with what he had said.

"I was enjoying myself until you opened your mouth!"

"All I said was it was originally told to warn girls of sexual predators. I can't believe you didn't know that. What did you think it was about?" Hiro asked.

"Anything but that!"

"Next you're going to be telling me that you didn't know that in The Little Mermaid the princess doesn't get the prince."

Lily's eyes widened.

"You mean you didn't?"

"No!" Lily was appalled. "She's the princess! She gave up her life for him! They're married and living happily ever after!"

"You have to be kidding me." Hiro sighs. "He falls in love with another woman and gets married. She turns into sea foam."

"But… that's terrible!" Lily sputtered. "All fairy tales are supposed to end happily! Have good morals and romance!"

"Actually a lot of the stories and nursery rhymes and an evil underlining messages." The disbelieving look propelled Hiro to continue. "The song 'You are my sunshine' is all about a man's wife leaving him for another guy. Alice in Wonderland is nothing more than a drug induced fantasy. The smoking caterpillar, the height changes, the Cheshire cat were pretty obvious clues. She was hallucinating."

"How do you know these things?" Lily was extremely curious as to how her friend came across this kind of information. She would never have thought any of this was true if it wasn't coming from Hiro. He was an encyclopedia when it came to most things.

He shrugged. "Common sense. If you think about it I'm sure you'll come to the same conclusions. For example There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe promotes child abuse."

Lily buried her head in her hands. "I cannot believe I'm hearing this."

"Think about it. The Ugly Duckling is basically saying in order to be accepted you must be beautiful." He argued.

"The I suppose Peter Pumpkin Eater is all about a jealous controlling husband?" Lily commented. "Or that Rock- A- Bye- Baby is talking about abandoning children?"

"Now you're getting it." Hiro approved. "You're starting to see the true lessons behind the sugar coated words."

"Stop right there. I don't want to know any more just leave me to my happy ending and romance." Lily waved him off. "I want to be able to read the rest of this without thinking about abuse and all the evils of the world."

"But I didn't explain the deep trauma issued by Hansel and Gretel-"

"Not another word!"

"-She was going to eat them-"

"I'm warning you!"

"-Cannibalism! That's what it was! These are the kinds of stories we're reading our kids at night. We could be causing paranoia, emotional scarring, irrational fears, and who knows what else!" Hiro concluded.

"They're stories. They aren't meant to be taken so seriously."

"But we could be installing unintentional messages into young and impressionable minds. What kind of people are we?"

_And so the argument went on. Only the bell for class saved Lily and even then she could hear her friend arguments in her mind. And the more she thought about it the more Hiro's logic made sense. Crud. _


	7. Paper Covers Rock

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zodiac PI. **

"One…"

"Two…"

"Three!"

Lili stuck out a sideways peace sign as Hiro stuck out his fist. You see they were sitting in their English class enjoying their last day of school before spring break. Their teacher had decided it wouldn't be worth the hassle of trying to control them and had ultimately decided to give them a free period. With nothing better to do they had started to play rock- paper- scissors.

So far, Hiro had won seven consecutive games.

"I win again." Hiro said as his friend slumped her head in defeat. "I'm getting bored with this let's do something else."

Lili's head shot up. "No! I have to beat you eventually and I won't rest until that happens. So lift up that arm of yours and prepare to lose!"

He rolled his eyes but complied just the same. The blond rolled up the sleeves of her school shirt and stuck out her tongue in concentration. She had a good feeling about this one. And so the final round commenced.

"One… two… three!" Lili shouted the last part as she thrust out her fist. At the same time Hiro put out his palm. Rock versus paper. Hiro won once again. Lili stood up and pointed an accusing finger at her friend. "I should win this round because there's no way paper beats rock in any way."

"What on earth are you talking about?" He looked at his friend like she was crazy… which wasn't a bad assumption. "It's the rules. Rock beats scissors. Scissors cuts paper. Paper covers rock. It's pretty straight forward."

"Yeah but why does paper beat rock?" She stretched out the word why for emphasis. She than ripped out a piece of paper and stuck it right under his nose. "There's no way a thin thing like this could win against a nice heavy rock."

Hiro scoffed and pushed the piece of paper out of the way. "Well, it does in this case because I won. Take your defeat and get over it."

"I will not get over it because it simply doesn't make any sense!" Lili put her hands on her hips in the classic angry woman pose before continuing her argument. "The rock would dominate the paper. There's no question about it."

"We wouldn't even be having this conversation if you had been the one who chose paper and I had chosen rock. You would have been gloating about how you beat me." Hiro pointed out from his desk.

"Well duh!" Lili said as if it where the most obvious thing. "Of coarse I wouldn't be arguing about this and I would be dancing for joy about my victory but that's not the point."

"What do you mean that's not the point? It makes up the entire point!" Hiro told her. "If you had won the same way I had we wouldn't even be having this conversation."

"Obviously! The point is that you did win and I will continue to argue my side until you consent defeat or until I beat you at a game of rock- paper- scissors." Lili sat back down in the desk next to Hiro. "So what'll be? You gonna fight with your fist or your mouth?"

As you could imagine, these two had drawn the attention of their classmates. After all you can't be arguing, in loud voices, about why paper beats rock in the middle of class and not expect to have people staring. Though Hiro had chosen to ignore it and Lili was completely oblivious to the attention they were receiving.

As the two continued on with three more rounds their fellow peers started placing bets on who would win. Most of them bet on Hiro and only a handful on Lili. Come the fourth round only one person still had their money on her.

"One two three!"

Lili had scissors. Hiro had paper.

As he sat there in shock and disbelief she wasted no time in enjoying her victory. The blonde teen leapt from her seat and started a little victory dance. "Finally! It only took me twelve tries but I won! Life is good!"

Collapsing in her chair with a big grin on her face she leaned back and propped her feet up. It was only then that she noticed the crowd of student gathered around them. She gave them a nervous wave. "Uh… hi?"

The students dispersed, grumbling to themselves. Forming a small crowd around the teacher's desk they started paying up. Some gave her money while other's ponied up candy and other assortment. Over all she had collected quite a bit of merchandise.

You see that one person who had bet on Lili in the forth round was their English teacher. Splitting up her earnings she leaned back in her chair and smiled. As she counted up her money she started whistling the tune for Kenny Roger's 'The Gambler.'

_You got to know when to hold them, know when to fold them.  
Know when to walk away and know when to run.  
You never count your money when you're sitting at the table.  
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done._


	8. Right Handed

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zodiac PI. **

It was a freak accident really. This random act of bad luck was completely out of her control. An unforeseen and unpredictable event, which there was virtually no chance of her repeating.

Despite her slightly ditzy nature and her tendency to jump into dangerous situations with no back up Lili rarely ever had any injuries. Sure she had a few brushes with death but other that that only minor scratches and bumps. She had never, in her thirteen years of life, ever had a broken bone. It was a fact that she was quite proud of.

Until now that is.

"Stupid… good for nothing piece of…" Lili cursed under her breath as she tried to undo the combination on her lock with her right hand. She wasn't going to well; the cast was a bigger hindrance than she had originally thought.

Letting out a growl of frustration she threw the schoolbag she was holding in her left hand onto the ground. Adjusting herself accordingly she re-entered her combination with her left hand. Luckily for her it opened in the first try.

Finally some good luck. Lili let out a happy sigh and reached into her locker for her books.

Though as a wise man once said, "Usually something bad happens after something good."

That wise man couldn't have been more accurate. As Lili pulled out her books her elbow hit a binder, knocking it onto the floor and scattering all of her papers. She let a muffled screech of aggravation and hit her locker door with her cast.

She instantly regretted that.

This time Lili didn't bother lowering her voice in anyway as she clutched her arm and let out a yelp of pain. "Ackk! That hurts!"

Ignoring the conceded looks she was receiving from fellow classmates, she waited until the burning pain had resided to a dull ache before bending down to gather her stuff. All the while mumbling to herself. "Stupid me. I can't believe I slammed my injured arm into the locker. Stupid natural reaction…."

Lili was so focused on chastising herself and picking up her papers that she didn't notice the arrival of another.

"Talking to your imaginary friend?"

Lili fought back a groan. Lifting her head a little she found herself staring at a pair of shoes. Not just any old shoes either. She recognized these ones. Sure enough when she looked up it was none other than Hiro.

"No!" She could her face burning. Whether from embarrassment or anger she didn't know but she stuck with anger. She knew how to handle anger. "Are you going to stand there all day or are you going to help me?"

Hiro obediently bent down and started to assist the fuming blond. "Hey don't take your anger out on me. It's not my fault your such a klutz."

"I am not a klutz!" Lili stuck out her cast so that it was right under his nose. "You try opening your locker with this hunk of plaster stuck to your arm! It ain't easy!"

Hiro's eyes widened and he grabbed her arm. As if to prove that it was real.

"Ow!" Lili pulled her arm from his grasp. "Watch it! Fragile goods here."

Her snappish comment brought him back from whatever thoughts he was lost in. "What did you do to your arm? Did somebody attack you? You went out on another case without back up didn't you! What on earth were you thinking!"

"What?" The look Lili was giving him clearly expressed that she though he had gone bonkers.

"Why didn't you call me? You should know better than to try to tackle a suspect with out somebody with you!"

While Lili was touched by Hiro's concern it was outbalanced by the anger she felt for being falsely accused for something that never happened, which she expressed in great volume. "How dare you! First you don't even notice and now you think I brought it upon myself by flying solo?"

"Then what happened!" Hiro was never very good at talking rationally with Lili. She was just so… so… infuriating.

Before she could stop herself she had already blurted out her story. "For your information I tripped and fell on my wrist funny! Now I'm stuck with _this_-" She thrust her arm out so it was right in his face, "for the next six to eight weeks!"

He simply blinked dumbly.

"I'm right handed you dolt!" Lili went back to picking up her papers. "My writing is barely legible as is! Now that I'm forced to use my left hand it will be impossible to read! I can't afford my teachers not being able to read my handwriting!"

There was a moment of silence where Lili fumed quietly and Hiro was lost in thought.

"You can type out your English assignments and borrow notes from people. If you want I can write for you." Hiro said out of the blue.

Surprised at his sudden offer Lili looked up only to find him staring away from her. Though his face was turned she could have sworn that she saw the slightest hint of red on his cheeks. "What?"

Hiro shifted uncomfortably and when he did speak you could hear the slight strain in his voice. Like he was having trouble getting the words out. "I said that I could write for you. Like you tell what the answer is and I write it down."

"Don't you think my teachers might be a little suspicious about how dramatically my writing has changed?" Lili raised an eyebrow. "They might even think I'm getting someone else to do my work for me."

At this Hiro rolled his eyes as he picked up her schoolbag and helped Lili stand up. "Idiot. We'll just tell them about your arm. They may not believe you but I'll be there to back you up. They can trust me."

Putting her papers in her bag they walked together to class. She smiled to herself but after some walking it turned into a frown when what he said finally registered. "Hey! I am so trustworthy!""

Hiro laughed.

_The laughter did not last long however. He quickly learned that a cast should not be considered a handicap but an advantage in a fight. It's like a weapon attached to your arm. _


	9. Point of View

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zodiac PI.**

'That was completely random.' Was Lily's first though after Hiro had announced that his aunt worked at the city's local art museum. Upon further discussion she learned that there was going to be a very exclusive art showing received mainly for the artists and rich potential buyers. Apparently she had managed so get Hiro's family in and he decided that it would be a great opportunity to introduce Lili to some culture and class. It took some convincing on his part but he eventually got his friend to go by telling her what a fancy party it was going to be and how some of Japan's most famous would be there.

Now they were standing in front of an abstract sculpture. Since it was a formal dress occasion they had re-used their outfits from the principal's golden statue head case. Hiro, being the gentleman he is, had gotten drinks for Lili and himself.

Lily had been staring at the same thing for the past five minuets. Hiro gave her a meaningful look as he handed her some apple cider. "So tell me, what do you think this particular piece represents?"

"The digestive system." She said with a completely straight face. "It looks like the digestive system."

Lili took a sip of her drink while Hiro sighed. Shaking his head he tried again. "Stop goofing around. What do you think the artist was trying to say? What was he thinking? How does his art make you feel?"

"Hungry."

Hiro shook his head as he pulled her over to another piece of abstract art. "Well what about this one? I think it's about the struggles of man and how he rises above all to reach his goal."

Lili stared at it. She circled it. She gave it a once over. "It's three monkeys fighting over a coconut. So far no ones wining but the second monkey looks like he's planning something so the tables could be turning at any moment."

Hiro stared at her like she was crazy before turning his attention back to the sculpture. He stared. He analyzed. He stared some more. He couldn't see it. How on earth did she see three monkeys fighting over a coconut? "Somehow I seriously doubt that's what the artist was trying to convey when he did this piece."

The two argued about whether or not there were in fact monkeys dueling it out for a coconut and if the second monkey was really planning something. As they argued they failed to notice the figure appear behind them.

"Well, It's so nice seeing young people enjoying my art!"

Lili nearly jumped out of her heels at the sudden voice. Holding a hand to her heart she turned around to find a man standing behind her.

He was tall and looked to be in his thirty. Thin but not skinny he sported a reddish beard and hair from what you could see under his baseball cap. Strange combination wearing a hat with a tux.

"I see your looking at my sculpture." He gestured towards it. "I for one am very proud of it. I'm also proud that the younger generation is getting interested in the arts. I tell you all the teens I've seen are either blasting music out of i-pods or showing off their underwear. I'm grateful to find that some kids have class now a days."

"I'm sorry but do we know you?" Hiro asked as politely as he could, considering this guy had just popped up out of thin air.

The odd man laughed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I guess I haven't properly introduced myself yet have I?"

The two teens shook their heads.

"Sorry about that." The redhead stuck out his hand in greeting. "I'm Mike Gordon. I made that sculpture you were staring at."

Lili looked from the piece of abstract to the strange man and back again. She pointed to it. "You mean this is yours? As in you made it?"

Mike nodded, clearly pleased with himself. "Yep and it was fun to."

"Since you made it would you mind telling us what you were trying to make it represent?" Hiro asked. "You see before you showed up my and my friend here where discussing it."

"Yeah!" Lili added in with enthusiasm. "I told him what I thought and he wouldn't believe me."

Hiro rolled his eyes and continued on with a slightly sarcastic tone to his voice. "That's because your perspective didn't make any sense. Let Mr. Gordon explain what he really means. He'll settle this for us."

Mike patted Lili on the back. "Don't feel too bad kid. Nobody's been able to guess correctly what it's supposed to represent." He straightened up a bit. "Though I can't for the life of me figure out why. It seems pretty obvious to me."

"I saw it." Hiro raised his glass. "It's a great piece representing man's struggle and how he can accomplish anything if he tries."

The artist shook his head sadly. "That's what everyone says but no."

"No? What do you mean no?" Hiro was confused.

"I mean that's not I had envisioned when I created this." Mike crossed his arms and smiled. "You see what I saw and still see when I look at this is three monkeys fighting over a coconut."

The world was never quieter.

"Hah! I told you that's what it looked like!" While Hiro was wallowing in his confusion and complete shock, Lili wasted no time in pointing out that she was right. Most people believed gloating wasn't a very ladylike quality but no one would dare tell her that. The girl in question turned to the artist with excitement radiating off of her. "And the second monkey looks suspicious? Like he's planning something but we don't know what?"

"That's exactly right!" Mike was starting to get into it. "You understand! I was beginning to think that something was wrong with me."

Lili shook her head. "You're just creative. Besides it's completely obvious."

"That's what I thought but you're the only person I've met so far who gets it." Mike praised. "You have the true eye of an artist."

The two continued talking about artistic perspectives as Hiro stumbled to a nearby chair and collapsed in it. What was the world coming to? What's wrong with people now a days? Was he losing his mind? Great now he had a headache. Looking up he saw Lili waving good-bye to her new artist friend. She looked about the room for a minuet before spotting him. She jogged over to him with a huge smile planted upon her face, "The people here are so nice!"

"They're all crazy." Hiro mumbled under his breath.

Lili gave him a look. "What was that?"

"Nothing." He waved her off and stood up. He jerked a thumb to the refreshment table in the other room. "I'm kind of thirsty. What to get a drink?"

The blond nodded and before she lost her nerve enveloped him in a big unexpected hug. Then pulled away before he started babbling. "Thanks for inviting me to this art exhibit. I'm having a lot of fun."

Hiro was a very interesting shade of red as he tried to speak, "Yeah, uh, no problem. Come on let's get going."

"Sure." Before he could get away from her, Lili laced her arm into his. "Shall we?"

He just nodded nervously.

So the two walked over to the refreshment table where they met up with their dear friend, Mike Gordon, who commented how cute of a couple they were. As Hiro tried to interject with the fact that they were not dating Lili beat him and thanked the artist for saying such a kind thing. While Mike started about how his own little girl was attracting boys Hiro was lost deep in thought. Were they a couple?

Then he caught Lili's eye and decided that even if they weren't that was fine. Besides he could scare off potential suitors until she decided she was ready.

_Poor delusional Hiro... he just didn't get the signal that Lili wanted them to be together. Well, if nothing else could be said for the private eye there was this, she was persistent and she'd get him in the end. Even if she had to come to more art shows with confusing abstracts to do it. _


End file.
